Honda deals with Takata airbag mess the right way

A deployed airbag is seen in a 2001 Honda Accord at the LKQ Pick Your Part salvage yard on May 22, 2015 in Medley, Florida. The largest automotive recall in history centers around the defective Takata airbags that are found in millions of vehicles not limited to just one automaker.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

The way Honda is dealing with defective Takata airbag inflators deserves kudos

by
Lorraine Sommerfeld | May 20, 2016

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Full props to Honda for stepping up while other manufacturers stay hidden in the weeds.

The crux of the problem from Consumer Reports: “[T]he airbag’s inflator, a metal cartridge loaded with propellant wafers, which in some cases has ignited with explosive force. If the inflator housing ruptures in a crash, metal shards from the airbag can be sprayed throughout the passenger cabin … NHTSA has determined the root cause of the problem: airbags that use ammonium nitrate-based propellant without a chemical drying agent. As postulated early on, environmental moisture, high temperatures, and age as associated with the defect that can improperly inflate the airbags … To date, there have been 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries due to this problem in the U.S.” Two additional recent deaths are still under investigation.

The recall numbers now top 69 million worldwide, a number that seems to go up every day. Millions of cars in Canada are affected by the recall. You can check at your dealer or Transport Canada to see if your vehicle is affected by the recall. It might be an airbag on the passenger side, or the driver’s side, not necessarily both. Toyota told its dealers to affix a sticker that said “do not sit here” after disabling the passenger air bags. Gotta admit, a sticker is cheaper than a part.

Takata is facing huge fines and lawsuits over the recalls. According to Car and Driver, “Takata executives allegedly withheld test results from its defective airbag inflators and destroyed evidence as early as 2000. A top Takata executive is alleged to have ordered that failed parts be “discarded” and doctored a report.”

There have been no reported injuries in Canada; experts believe heat and humidity play the largest role in destabilizing the propellant, which means resources are being allocated to southern U.S. states first. There have been some outlier injuries reported, however, and Canadian consumers are right to stay on top of developments.

All of this leaves owners of these cars in a tough spot. I’ve heard from readers who don’t care at all, and I’ve heard from some who are petrified to drive their vehicles. My personal car isn’t on the recall list (yet), but I know the uphill battle manufacturers are facing finding enough suppliers to fulfill the recall, which has a timeline stretching out until 2019 by some estimates. Knowing we are pretty much at the bottom of the priority list because of our climate is a mixed bag: Glad we’re not showing up on the injury reports, not happy to be picked last for the team.

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What manufacturers haven’t been doing is stepping up to bat for those customers with concerns. This week I was forwarded a Safety Recall notice for certain 2007 to 2015 Honda vehicles from a consumer and it’s the first time I’ve seen this wording attached: “Please contact your dealer should you have questions about the safe operation of your vehicle or regarding the provision of, or reimbursement for, temporary replacement transportation.”

According to John Raymond at the Automobile Protection Association, some manufacturers have been dealing with customers on a squeaky wheel basis; you complain loudly enough, they’ll offer up a solution. The APA notes that one suggested alternative, to deactivate the potentially faulty airbag, would open up too much liability in compromising a major safety element of the vehicle.

This Honda notification is a welcome offer to affected owners, and it’s the right thing to do.